


just open up and pull me in.

by littlelionvanz



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Dancing, First Kiss, M/M, Making Out, Post-Finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-19 14:23:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9445271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlelionvanz/pseuds/littlelionvanz
Summary: Semi breathed something like relief upon seeing a mass of bodies jumping, dancing, thrashing. Music was almost unintelligible being screamed out of shoddy boom box speakers mounted somewhere on the walls. The whole place smelled like sweat and cheap beer, and Semi Eita was so fucking impressed with his teammate at that moment.Or, Tendou takes Semi to a party. Maybe they make out a little. Set a few weeks post finale.





	

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Title comes from [Zion by Kids of 88](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7atmhhOZziM)
> 
> 2\. This is my first fic in a new fandom. (Well 7 months into a new fandom and I've finally finished one of dozens of WIPs. 
> 
> 3\. When I started writing this fic (on my phone before getting out of bed), I didn't know that it was actually TenSemi week, just a weird coincidence. In any case, it doesn't really fit any of the prompts so I'm just gonna post anyways. 
> 
> 4\. Beta'd by my [pettey](http://archiveofourown.org/users/pettey/pseuds/pettey), otherwise y'all would have an unintelligble mess on your hands.

What surprised Semi Eita until it didn’t, was that Tendou Satori was still an enigma to him. It seemed odd, that he could know his teammate for all these years and not _really_ know him at the same time. They’d shared adjoining lockers, gummy snacks at Tendou’s assistance,  and sometimes even bodywash when Tendou ran out of his. Semi sometimes thought it made them something akin to roommates. They were together for long practices, bus rides, wins, training camps. But of course, when Semi finally realized it, of course that didn’t mean he _knew_ Tendou. At best it made them _acquaintances_ and Semi wasn’t sure why it made him unsettled by that.  

It was probably for the same reason that Semi asked Tendou to take him where he goes on one of their free weekends (now that the season was over and their schedules were freed up immensely), and for the same reason again that made Semi almost unsurprised when Tendou led him to a basement of an industrial building where music boomed hard through his chest and neon lights assaulted him on sight.

Semi breathed something like relief upon seeing a mass of bodies jumping, dancing, thrashing. Music was almost unintelligible being screamed out of shoddy boom box speakers mounted somewhere on the walls. The whole place smelled like sweat and cheap beer, and Semi Eita was so fucking impressed with his teammate at that moment. This was everything familiar and comfortable to him that he hadn’t had the chance to experience in a while due to school and volleyball: grimy and dirty and messy parties of punk and heavy electronic house music, kids from nice respectable families and backgrounds, half-naked and pierced all to hell, going wild for a night before donning crisp uniforms Monday morning for school and prepping for exams. Of course Tendou would find a way.

Tendou looked at him, smirking, and Semi smiled back. He laughed as Semi dragged him by the wrist into the chaos.  


Semi Eita never claimed to be an expert on reading people, that was _the guess monster’s_ job. Tendou’s always had a frankly creepy ability to figure out things about people without having to say it. It was a useful skill as a blocker, but as a friend it just made things a little _odd_ that he seemed to know your favorite movie or juice, without you ever remembering having told him. No, Semi couldn’t do that. But he _could_ tell, when Tendou’s hands found his hips and their bodies were pulled together in sway, that this might be a bit beyond two friends hanging out at a house party. Tendou was grinning, unmasked for once, banging his head, and Semi could see the droplets of sweat rolling along the tendons of his neck beneath his tank top.

People were all around them, bumping and pushing. Damn near suffocating. Tendou’s hand never left Semi as they moved together, sloppily, messily, intoxicatingly. Music was so loud, it seemed to shake them into movement, erratic and vibrating. Ceiling lights cast off flashes of yellows, greens, reds and blues, making Tendou look like something out a fever dream with all his sharp features. Hooded eyes strained on Semi, tongue darting to swipe across his bottom lip. Semi felt daring, felt _excited_ , when he threw an arm around Tendou’s shoulder to keep them close together. The effect was immediate, all the jumping and almost-dancing made their bodies grind together - no thanks to the mass around them- which only seemed to push them closer together. He could feel Tendou’s sweat on the back of his neck, so slick but only making it feel more _real._

It was strange, no one knew Tendou and Semi here, not that Semi was aware of. And it was easy to forget that they themselves were powerhouse athletes from a powerhouse school as they had dressed in boots, old t shirts they usually only got to use for sleeping in, tight jeans, and with music so loud it flooded all thoughts except for pure sensation. Semi loved it, he loved this. He loved the feeling of Tendou’s long slender fingers around his ribs, slotting between the bones. He loved how red Tendou’s lips looked in the low lights, and how bad he wanted to bite them.

Music changed every few minutes; sometimes punk songs blended into each other and it was hard to tell them apart. It took Semi slower to realize that a slower electronic track with a hard thumping bass started and everyone seemed to slow with it at once, making everything creepingly more intimate than it had been. He felt Tendou’s nose on his neck and lips on his trap muscle. Both arms were encircling him now as Semi found his legs parted by one one of Tendou’s. At first glance it was easy to write him off as all limbs and bones, almost skeletal with his height and gangly stature. Admittedly his posture wasn’t the best. But Semi was next to him in almost every workout and practice and could _feel_ the hard muscle in his thigh now, in the way it pressed between Semi’s legs. His breath was coming rapidly, eyes closing for just a moment to feel this. Hot breath on damp skin, sweat soaking through shirts, everything so fucking loud, fingers scorching through flesh.

Semi almost felt like an animal for it.  
  


His limbs were aching, he didn’t realize this until he was actually having to walk. Semi had no idea how long they had been dancing. It was impossible, though, to keep track of time. Tendou was pulling him by the wrist somewhere out of the crowds, and Semi felt as though cotton had been stuffed in his ears.

The room had to have been a bathroom of sorts, harsh yellow lighting casting off spray painted walls. Semi felt himself being pushed into a far corner of the room, in an empty space where a stall had been ripped out, and it was the first time he’d seen Tendou in proper lighting since coming here. He thought for a moment perhaps he’d feel different; that he _should_ feel different, as if the spell would be broken once they were alone. Semi was surprised but also not at all that he didn’t.

Music vibrated through the walls Semi was pressed against. He grinned wolfishly, pulling Tendou to him by the shirt that was damp all the way through with sweat. They pressed together tightly, mouths finding each other hot and open. Semi wondered if Tendou could feel the vibrations of the walls through his body, his lips. Or if he could feel how fast his heart was beating. Semi’s head bumped against the wall with a thud as Tendou braced himself against him, arms bracketing his shoulders. Spit-slick lips pressed together, cautious for just a half-second before opening and chasing each other. Breaths grew heavy almost immediately, desperate and _so_ hot. Tendou was sucking on Semi’s bottom lip and it sent shivers up his spine.

He wondered if Tendou could feel that as well.

Tendou pulled away to mouth at his neck, whispering, “Semisemi, beautiful Semi,” that made the other boy’s breath stutter and his hips roll into his friend’s.

He was used to the nickname, for some reason Tendou was the only one who called him that. It started somewhere around their second year, and Semi was first annoyed, only hearing Tendou call him that in a mocking tone. Eventually it was just a nickname, no ulterior motives. Just a weird Tendou quirk no one could quite understand. Perhaps their teammates thought Tendou was the only one who was allowed. Something about that made Semi feel electric.

Tendou had been an enigma since the moment they met. He always made it his business to know the weak spots of everyone else while keeping himself totally unknown. This doubled over off the court as well. But Semi felt something come alive in his chest. _This is something I know about you,_ he found himself thinking, _I know you’re here with me, I know you’re into me. I’m into you too, ya fuckin’ weirdo._

 _“_ Am I uncool now?” Semi said, breathless. It only just occurred to him that it was the first time they’d spoken since coming here.

Tendou looked up, almost drunkenly. “Huh?” He let a hand slide from the chipped painted brick wall to the back of Semi’s neck, fingers digging into the hairs at the base of his head that had begun to curl.

Semi rolled his eyes, “Once, you told me I wasn’t cool when I wore my regular clothes.”

Tendou pulled back to regard him, an eyebrow pulling up as well. And then—“That was what, _first year_ , Semi, how did you remember that?”

“I remember all who cross me,” Semi said, feigning indifference.

He couldn’t pretend as if the words didn’t bother him back then. They hadn’t really known each other very well, only seeing each other in school. Their volleyball captain at the time insisted in having a team dinner. Semi showed up at the restaurant, tight jeans, denim vest over a black t shirt, and skate shoes. If anything, Semi thought it was his most boring outfit. He remembers this was when he hadn’t taken out his ear piecings yet. Tendou grinned _annoyingly,_ laughed at him for some reason, and that entire year Semi made it a point never to wear casual clothes around him again. He was used to people pointing and staring; at his differently colored hair, and whatever bright color he chose to wear that way. He didn’t care. He liked being alternative, different. But Tendou was the only one that ever got under his skin like that. Semi didn’t like being grouped with the other people Tendou wanted to crush the hearts of.

Tendou was smiling at him now, soft and without the familiar maliciousness he often sported for fun during volleyball games. Semi wasn’t used to this one.

“Sweet Semisemi,” his thumb was tracing the shell of Semi’s ear, “Couldn’t you tell I was pulling your proverbial pigtails?”

“Excuse me?”

“You made me nervous, _obviously."_

“Oh yeah,” Semi was smiling back, “ _Totally obvious._ ”

Tendou kissed him once more, sweetly, because he could.

“I brought you here,” he whispered against Semi’s lips, “So you’d think _I_ was cool.”

“Since when do you care what anyone thinks?” Semi said leaning into Tendou’s petting hand. “Let alone me?”

Tendou shook his head as if he couldn’t believe Semi.

“You’re like the coolest person I know.”

Semi felt his whole face flush and looked around quickly to make sure they were alone. Not that he was embarrassed, it would be hard to in a place like this, so far away from their day to day world. He didn’t want anyone to intrude on this moment. It would just feel weird for there to be an audience in their bubble. And if anyone had anything to say, Semi didn’t have volleyball team to risk getting kicked off of if he got into a fight.  


The thing about Tendou, Semi realized pretty early on, is that he wasn’t a liar. Something so simple shouldn’t have seemed so spectacular, but in the world of teenagers and high school, it was easy to lose faith in his peers. Girls flatter with confessions, but only to boost their ego and social status of having a Shiratorizawa athlete on their arm. Boys blow up stories of what they did with those girls to one-up each other in the locker room. It was annoying at best, everyone competing to prove they were the coolest in the room.  

Tendou didn’t; sure he flirted and joked, and Semi was pretty sure his uncle hasn’t been to jail _that_ many times, but he wasn’t a _liar_ , an embellisher of the truth. He never had a motive to. No girls were ever really interested in him enough for him to even lie about. Semi was sure Tendou didn’t want to offer any window that would allow anyone access inside. Tendou wasn’t a liar to inflate his ego and self-importance, but he wasn’t exactly an open book either. He overcompensated with excessive friendliness or talking too much to fill the silences, or simply asked everyone else about everything in _their_ lives. Semi sometimes wondered if he had friends at all outside of the volleyball club.

There were times when he found himself wanting to tell Tendou to maybe relax on the weird made up songs, maybe stop coming to class high because having a conversation with a stoned Tendou was enough to turn anyone off. To just dial it back on all the things people would generally consider _weird_ . But Semi never said anything because, well, _he_ didn’t mind it. It was this thought in the back of his head that if no one else saw Tendou beyond the gangly tall weirdo that he was, Tendou was better off without them. Stupidly, Semi also never quite thought to wonder why he considered his opinion was so superior. He _thought_ it was because he had gotten to know Tendou longer than anyone else.

But then there Tendou was, looking at him wide-eyed and offering. He called Semi _cool_ , and Semi wondered if it meant something more. Tendou was never shy when it came to praising his teammates, but this was something different than just bolstering self-esteem during a match.

They kissed again because there was really not much else to say. Because just like nailing the perfect set, or guessing the perfect block, it just felt _right._ Semi couldn’t help but wonder why they haven’t been doing this the whole damn time.

  


Tendou invited Semi to stay the night at his place because, “My folks are just relieved that I have a friend at all, they’ll leave us alone all night.” It was an impossible opportunity to give up. Semi found himself wanting to make up for all the times they didn’t spend together outside the volleyball court.

Tendou’s room was covered wall to wall in movie posters of classic monster films from Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolfman, Godzilla. Misunderstood monsters. It was just as messy as one could expect, just as messy as Semi’s own. Books and notebooks stacked high on a desk by the window, unmade bed, clothes discarded across the floor. A typical boys room.

“Is it cool if I shower?” Semi asked as Tendou attempted a shoddy job at clearing up some of the clutter of the floor (which mostly consisted of clicking everything under his bed.)

“Oh uh, yeah,” Tendou said, looking around for a moment before going to the bottom drawer of his dresser. Of course nothing was folded or organized, but he pulled out what looked to be old gym clothes. Black silky basketball shorts and a plain white t shirt.

“What’s mine is yours, dear Semisemi,”

It felt good to be in the shower. Making out with Tendou at the party was great too, but it didn’t take long to begin feeling _gross_ once they left. Not because of Tendou, but the sweat and grime and being in too-tight jeans. Very few things compared to a nice hot shower. Well, kissing Tendou was creeping up the list, however. He hoped he might get to, again, before the night was through.

Semi searched the shower caddy for some sort of body wash and smiled when he saw a familiar bottle. It was the same brand as Semi’s, that Tendou often asked to borrow after practices. Semi felt something tingle and bloom in his chest.

He tried not to linger too long. He didn’t want to accidently get a hard on in someone else’s shower, in Tendou’s shower. He was already close to being overwhelmed as it was. They made out for a few hours in a dirty bathroom and sticky dance floor, but Semi took a stab that they weren’t at the _jerking off in each other’s showers_ stage yet.

He dried himself off and dressed quickly, toweling his hair down and not minding how wild it must have looked.

Tendou showered quickly after him, maybe not wanting to leave Semi alone for too long. He wore a tank top that was thin in color, that left nothing to the imagination. His shorts hung low and Semi didn’t care if he was staring. He wanted Tendou to see him staring.

Tendou only made eye contact with Semi for just a moment before sitting on the edge of the bed. Semi was already on his back near the wall.

“ _Now_ you’re nervous?” He asked after a moment, waiting for Tendou to lie next to him.

His friend looked back, not at all an intimidating figure how. His hair, which was normally a startling bright red, spiked high and was flat and dark from being wet. Some of it was tucked behind his ear and Semi wanted to touch so badly.

“You know I’ve never done this, right?” Tendou asked with a nervous laugh, without even looking over his shoulder. Semi could see him pulling at a fingernail.

Semi turned onto his side, resting his head on the palm of his hand. “Done what?”

Tendou clicked his teeth. “All of it. Back there, here, _this._ ”

 _This_ must have meant someone lying in Tendou’s bed. Maybe Semi, specifically. He didn’t want to say that he _did_ know Tendou’s inexperience, it was hard not to guess that. He didn’t want him to feel bad.

“Not like I’ve got loads of experience either,” Semi said instead, “I don’t even know what’s like to have a weekend to myself anymore.”

Tendou snorted a laugh. “Guess we’ve got all the free time in the world now that the season’s over.”

 _Fuck._ It still stung something bitter in Semi. It had been a few weeks since their last game. Their final game. And still it was hard to think that it was over forever.

“Yeah,” Semi agreed through a yawn. “You gonna lay down or do you secretly sleep standing up.”

Tendou clicked his teeth again and swung his long legs off the ground and dug his feet under the blankets that were bunched at the end of the bed. There was little space between them when Tendou stretched out fully. Semi could feel the warmth radiating from his side, the fresh clean smell of the body wash they shared. Semi wasn’t used to a docile Tendou who wasn’t joking or singing or being just annoying in general.

He stayed perched on his hand, not daring to move any closer but not in any mood to look away.  Semi was intrigued by how _normal_ Tendou seemed. When he wasn’t trying to be too funny or intimidate the first years or crush the hearts of his opponents, he was just a bony-kneed and freckled-nosed eighteen-year-old. There were scratches on his knuckles, prominent veins in his forearm. Semi liked knowing how soft his lips were too, even if they were now being bitten by him thanks to leftover nervous energy. He never knew Tendou to be nervous by anything —usually his impressive volleyball skills could speak for themselves.

There was no volleyball now. Just them, uncharted territory. It didn’t feel like a game.

Tendou was first to break the silence.

“Are you gonna play volleyball at university?”

The question took Semi by surprise. He turned to lie on his back, folding his arm under his head. Tendou had a bunch of those childhood glow-in-the-dark stars on his ceiling that was nothing more than off-white with the desk lamp on.

“Probably not,” Semi said honestly. He never really talked about it before, no one really ever asked. “Funny thing about playing with Miracle Boy Wakatoshi is that scouts only really show up for _Miracle Boy Wakatoshi._ ”

Semi didn’t mean to sound spiteful, Ushijima was his friend and couldn’t help that he was one of the best players in the country.

“Still, no one really shows up for a second string setter on a team that couldn’t even qualify for nationals.”

Okay, maybe now he was a bit bitter. But it was the truth. Reputations were made and lost on the court. Shiratorizawa had a reputation for being one of the Top 8 powerhouse schools in the country. This was a school only the best came to play for, and each of its players knew the legacy they had to protect by wearing a jersey for it. And Semi, as well as the rest of them, knew it was going to be hard to come back from a break in their undefeated season. It wasn’t as though they weren’t a good team anymore, or wouldn’t be in the future. But when you show other schools that there’s a crack in the foundation, you seem a little less threatening. Even Goliath fell.

Semi once had dreamed of playing professional volleyball, even the Olympic national team. Coach Washijou only chose the best players and goddamn it, Semi _was_ good. But Shirabu was better and it didn’t matter that Semi _was_ the main setter and earned his spot by being one of the best setters in a powerhouse school. Washijou replaced him with a second year anyways. Heartbreak and broken dreams didn’t begin with Karasuno beating them in the qualifying match. It happened some months before. It didn’t occur to Semi until then that volleyball wouldn’t be his life anymore, and that was the hardest pill to swallow; not that single loss.

“I’m not either,” Tendou said, like a confession.

“No?” Semi turned to look at him. Tendou was looking at him too. “Figures, universities might not know what to do with you.”

Tendou did smile then, spreading from a smirk to a brief flash of teeth and back again. “I got what I wanted.”

“What’s that?”

He shrugged. “I had the time of my life.”

Tendou was still looking at him, open and honest. The most unguarded Semi had ever seen him. Shiritorizawa was a good team, _powerful._ But the word “fun” was rarely ever used to describe why they played. They played to win. But yeah, Semi had to admit, Tendou was right, even if Semi did let his hot-head get the best of him most of the time.

“Me too.”

Tendou turned on his side, facing Semi. Cautiously, he reached out to take the hand that rested on his chest. He didn’t hold it, but traced the lines in his palm, nails scratching over the callouses on the pads of his fingers and heel of his palm.

“You know you’re gonna have to dye your hair a normal color once you become a proper adult and functioning member of society.”

Semi groaned—of course he thought about it. His mother wasn’t too fond of the current bleached mop with black tips and had lectured him thoroughly about now no respectable employer would take him seriously with hair like that. She allowed his creativity and self-expression so long as he kept up his studies, but Semi knew it annoyed her. It was part of the appeal. If he had to wear a proper school uniform every day, he settled for at least _some_ part of individuality.

“Don’t fucking remind me.”

He rolled back onto his side to face Tendou, they were suddenly very close. He pulled his arm from under his head to rest above their heads. He was just barely touching Tendou’s hair, and their fingers were still lazily entwined.

“Let’s move to a bigger city, like Tokyo or Osaka,” Tendou said. “We’ll, I don’t know, work shitty jobs, eat bad food and go see Wakatoshi’s university games on the weekends.”

Semi smiled, “We’ll listen to music all the time, I’ll bring my record player.”

“We’ll have furniture we found at discount warehouses or estate sales because we’ll be too broke to have anything new.”

“We’ll be former amazing volleyball players turned social degenerates. We’ll watch the 2020 Olympics bragging that we played with or against the players on the national team.”

“And no one will believe us.”

“We’ll dance though. Go to shit house parties. Have the time of our lives again.”

Semi watched as Tendou’s gaze settled on their hands, he was holding Semi’s now. The same hands that touched so easily, roughly, fingers stretching and itching to _feel_ , were now cautious and reserved. He wanted to tell Tendou it was okay for him to touch again, if he wanted to. It wasn’t reserved for just dingy bathrooms. Surely he had to feel more comfortable here in his own bed.

But then again Tendou had always been an odd one to begin with. A fill of contradictions. This was just another that Semi was trying to understand. Three years of being teammates and friends and he was still trying to understand.

“Our parents are gonna force us to go to university, aren’t they,” Tendou said after a moment.

Semi pinched his brow. “Yeah,”

“Guess we’ll have to be college graduate bums then.”

The smile was back and Tendou looked at him again. “Though,” he continued, “You should think about becoming a model yourself. Take me to Paris, Milan, Seoul, so I can bum _internationally_.”

“Eugh,” Semi scrunched his nose shaking his head. “You’re crazy,”

“Oh c’mon, Semisemi,” Tendou was teasing now, “You hear what the girls say. You’re so _pretty._ ”

Semi knocked him on the head with his knuckles, but not enough to hurt. Tendou almost looked embarrassed for a moment, and that’s how he knew Tendou wasn’t teasing for the sake of. The words were stuck in Semi’s mouth, but he thought Tendou was strangely pretty too.

He did hear the gossip and in the stuttery confessions of an underclass girl. _The prettiest boy in Shiratorizawa._ His teammates would snigger and Semi felt bad for not immediately taking it as a compliment. Girls complimenting him always made him feel weird, too put on the spot. It felt different though, when it was Tendou calling him pretty.

 _Oh_ , he thought, _Maybe this is why_.

Kissing Tendou should have been a clue from the start. But only wanting to kiss _him_ , and not girls, was something else altogether. He felt strangely okay with it. Semi always reasoned that he didn’t date because he didn’t have time. And it wasn’t even a lie. But volleyball always felt like the perfect excuse. In all actuality, he could make the time if he really wanted to date any of the girls that confessed to him.

_But it wouldn’t feel like this._

His fingers began to buzz with tension from simply touching, and Semi wondered why it took them so long to get here. Why they lied and distracted themselves, and why it took Semi so long to just _look_ at Tendou without following up with something stupid to say.

Of course he knew _why_ it couldn’t happen. Not with the season going strong, and previous season’s wins and tournaments, and hours long practices, on top of rigorous studies. Not to mention simply, and truthfully, things like this didn’t happen so easily in high school, not where they lived. It would be impossible to balance that when the sheer _want_ that filled Semi now, eclipsed everything like the noon sun. Maybe Tendou was more clever than he thought, showing Semi his heart when the time was right.

Tendou brought Semi’s fingers to his lips and kissed them. Boys like them weren’t supposed to be this gentle and yet all Semi wanted was to keep his fingers in Tendou’s hair, petting softly, while Tendou’s bare foot began to graze Semi’s ankle. It was enough to just want this for now.

He didn’t know if Tendou was joking about being roommates, it was sometimes hard to tell when he was being dead serious and when he was just talking. But yeah, this was enough. When Semi closed his eyes and leaned into Tendou again, he could almost feel the vibrations of the music through his lips.

No.

It was just Tendou’s pounding heart.

**Author's Note:**

> I was originally gonna cap this as like a 1k little drabble, but then I thought, "No vanz, be the 4k fic you wanna see in your rarepair tag." In any case I haven't written fic in like a year so I hope it didn't suck too much!!!
> 
> [here's a playlist I made for them.](https://playmoss.com/en/littlelionvanz/playlist/never-wanted-to-dance-with-nobody-but-you)
> 
> [tumblr](broukuto.tumblr.com) | [twitter](https://twitter.com/patroklov)
> 
> come talk to me about tendersemi and all ur rarepairs


End file.
